As promised, I’ve got a couple more Valentine’s Day cards for the not-so-mushy man in your life. (If you missed part one, you can see them here!) I figured your guy would really appreciate dogs sniffing each others butts on the most romantic day of the year, so you’re welcome. I still haven’t made a final decision on which card to order for Max, and I’m totally going to run out of time. I need to just pick one and order it! Or I could just order one of each, that could be fun! Have you guys found any cards yet? I’ve been seeing a lot on some of the blogs I follow, but they all tend to be a bit tamer. Maybe I’ll share some pretty ones with you guys too!

C&C may or may not be a little quiet later in the week, I’ve got a photoshoot for work Wednesday and Thursday, and if I’m judging based on the past photoshoots I’ve been a part of, they tend to go much longer than anticipated. So I’ll try my darndest (is that how you spell that word?) to get some content up for you, but if I don’t, forgive me? Pleeeease!

Oh, also, is it wrong that I kinda wish I lived in NYC right now so I could be having a snow day? I’m not sure if that’s like…not PC since I haven’t actually looked into the severity of the situation this morning yet, but I’m not even sorry, I love snow days!

Hi hi! So good food news to report – there’s a new sandwich shop in town! And by “in town” I mean the West Loop (specifically the corner of Randolph and Sangamon) and by “new sandwich shop” I mean Nonna’s. Attached to the recently-opened Formento’s Italian restaurant, Nonna’s is the fancy little sidecar. It took me a minute to realize where the entrance actually was because I think I was expecting something with more seating, so on first glance I thought it was a separate carry-out area. But after Max figured it out, we were in. The bright and modest space was accentuated with white marble countertops. Bottles of marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar and red wine stacked up all of the walls. The tiling on the floors was beautiful, and perfect for the space and vibe.

With a relatively small menu (ten sandwiches and a few sides and salads), it was easy to get a bit of info on all the sandwiches from the two helpful ladies working the counter. I went with the Mozzarella in Carrozza, which was sort of like a margarita grilled cheese? It’s basil pesto, tomato and mozzarella…deep fried. Whoops, did I leave that part out? Yeah. It’s deep fried. It was like biting into a crispy mozzarella stick the entire sandwich. Which also reminded me that I was eating something incredibly unhealthy…the entire time. I’ll just pretend it didn’t happen. I do think it could have used a little bit more salt (and I’m not really one to put salt on much, either). But overall I was pretty happy with my choice, though I’m 100% going to branch out and try something new next time because there are a couple others I was torn between.

Max went with the Chicken Parm and absolutely devoured it. I decided that it was about time I gave this whole “chicken parm thing” the benefit of the doubt, and let me tell you, I’m damn glad that I did. I have a terrible aversion to soggy foods (like what sauce would do to bread), but this didn’t bother me at all. The ciabatta that it comes on is the perfect bread, holding up to the sauce but still sopping up the flavor. The cheese was a melty delicious, too. The only thing I’d change was that the chicken was a little bit tough for my liking, but I took about six additional bites if that tells you anything. Max was less than impressed every time I asked for just a little bit more, but shared like a great boyfriend anyway!

Nonna’s is only open from 11-3pm (bummer, I know!), so unless you work over in the West Loop, the only time you’ll likely be able to grub is on the weekend. When we walked in there were two men waiting on sandwiches, taking up two of the four stools provided for dining there. We’d originally planned on eating there, but when we realized it wasn’t really a sit-down situation, we took it to-go.

They’ve also got some treats at the counter that are pretty well priced (anything under $1 is a winner in my book) but the sweet girl give them to us on the house, so definitely some extra points added there. Overall, I know we’ll be back again, it just sucks it’ll only be on weekends. But weekends tend to be the time I eat the most things that I know I shouldn’t eat, so I guess it works out!UPDATE:Nonna’s commented on my Instagram after the original post to let me know that starting 1/28 they’ll be open until 10/11pm pending the day. So rejoice, sandwiches for dinner! Enjoy the rest of your Monday and let me know if you’ve tried any new spots in Chicago that I should check out!

HAPPY FRIDAY! You made it, I’m so proud of you! This week was a good one for me, I booked our flights (with points, thanks Chase Sapphire Preferred!) out to Maine for our best friends’ wedding in June, I saw American Sniper, and I got to drink craft beer from Arcade Brewery (try the Grapefruit IPA or the Amber ale, both were delicious) and customize my own pair of Bucketfeet shoes at a fun event at Soho House last night. Plus my project at work is progressing without too many hiccups which is always a relief.

Not too much planned for this weekend which is always something I welcome. Dinner tomorrow night for the lil sis’ 25th. It becomes worrying when your younger siblings are turning 25! Because that just means you’re older than that. Woof. Anyway, hope you’ve got plenty of fun planned, and I’ll see you back here next week!

If you’re a purveyor of Fab.com, a design friendly flash deal site, then you’re probably going to lust after Bezar.com, another flash site from the same founders. It’s like Fab and Etsy had a love child – Members Only. New Products Daily. Emerging Designers. Iconic Brands. Great Prices. Curated Shops. And lucky you! You can use my code to become a member early using this link and you’ll get a $10 credit when the site actually goes live! Plus the site is really pretty!

This chic Teddi Tote is 50% off right now before they overhaul it next week, grab your favorite color and run before they sell out. I think I need that burnt orange for spring, I’m not sure what’s on trend but I like it.

Have you guys seen the trailer for Tina Fey’s new Netflix show? Check it out here. I loved Ellie Kemper in Bridesmaids (and The Office, duh!) and we all have seen what Ms. Fey can do, so I’m beyond ready for this hilariousness! Plus it’s Netflix, so the whole season gets released at once — hurry up March 6th!

Hello friends! Happy Thursday! We’re one day closer to the weekend! It’s been a hot second since I’ve posted a playlist so I thought I should make a point to share one with you at least once a month and I think I’ll call it Playlists for the People. I live for good tunes so this is something I’m excited to share with you.

Just a heads up, I’m honestly into all sorts of musical genres, so expect a smattering. If you’re a Spotify member, you can listen here! If you’re not using Spotify, get your head straight, stop what you’re doing and sign up! Also, lemme know what music you’ve been jammin’ to this January, I’m always on the hunt for new bands, so help a sista out!

So I realize that it’s only January, but like it or not, Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us. While I may have a boyfriend on the 14th, I’m not really big into making a big scene out of the day. It’s kind of how I feel about New Years Eve, I’d rather sit on the couch with some netflix and carryout than deal with the crowds. Last year Max and I spent V-day watching House of Cards and eating ‘za. The year before that we spent it killing Portillos and binging on Breaking Bad. My personal suggestion: go to dinner the week before, it’ll likely feel more special since everyone around you won’t be doing the exact same thing as you.

Anywho, since we’re pretty lax on the holiday, I at least like to get Max a card and write a lil diddy about how much I like him and thank him for doing the dishes all the time and putting up with my hair all over the bathroom floor. He’s good like that. I like to keep my cards one on the lighter side. And the more inappropriate side, because hey, I’m inapproriate. I think every card I give is probably borderline NSFW. Meh, c’est la vie.

And I’m sorry Target, but I’m goin’ rouge this year. Etsy, here I come! I’m on the hunt for the most perfectly inappropriate/hilarious/still-kinda-seem-like-I-like-you card. I haven’t found it yet. But I started early for the first time in my life, so we’ve got some time. But since these are Etsy shops we can’t expect them to have the same sort of inventory situation that Hallmark is sittin’ on, so ordering now is your best bet at making sure that the card you want isn’t sold out. Plus, some of these shop owners are international, so ya gotta give ’em some time for shipping. You’re welcome for being so ahead of the game on this one. It doesn’t happen often, relish it! (said the hotdog)

So without further ado, here are a few that had me chuckling. Er, I don’t know if I’ve ever technically ‘chuckled’ but I was definitely laughing to myself. None of these five fit the bill for what I’m looking for, but they were good enough to share with you guys. But that also means I’ll have a few more of these roundups while I continue my search, so don’t forget to check back. I’m talking to all you single ladies too, I’ll be sure to roundup some cards for you gals, because honestly, they’re the funniest. Enjoy! And happy Tuesday!